America eats too much unhealthy food and not enough fruits and vegetables. A study reveals that the healthiness of our meals reduce throughout the day, approximately 1.7 percent per hour. Children's intake of vegetables are an average of two servings a day, especially …show more content…
those living in rural areas, when the needed amount is five to eight. Only a small percentage of adolescents had admitted to eating vegetables the previous day, and only 15 percent ate the recommended amount of fiber-rich produce. Nearly half of the schools in California fails the federal standards for fat and saturated fat in their school lunches.
Over the past 30 years there has a 36 percent drop in calcium-rich milk consumption and a 200 percent increase in soda intake (Wasowicz). The average American consumes nearly one ton of food per year. Per year, Americans eat: 632 pounds of dairy, 415.4 pounds of vegetables, 273 pounds of fruit, and 183.6 pounds of poultry and meat. 10 percent of the average American's income is spent on food annually. A study shows that Americans consume significantly more packaged than fresh foods. Americans eat a lot of fast food, a study shows that 1 in 4 citizens consume fast food every day.
The way America prepares foods is more often fried and processed than not. Children are overly influenced by the food industry, without being able to vote, enter a contract, or even voice their own opinion. Nancy Amy, an associate professor of nutrition at UC Berkeley, quoted “The food industry is advertising heavily to young children for kids meals and fast foods.” Applying that kids consume twice the calories when eating out than eating a lot of what Mom or Dad supplies at home for a meal. Experts recommend parents to reduce the consumption of …show more content…
processed and fast food. Fast food is depleted of fiber and other nutrients, and very high in salt, sugar, and fat. “Calories come really cheap these days,” said Gail Woodward-Lopez, associate director of the center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley. Woodward also quoted that “Food with sugar used to be an expensive rare treat: now, it’s cheaper to eat candy than fruits and vegetables (Wasowicz).” The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the residents of other countries have a very different lifestyle than those in America. The main difference is eating habits. In other countries there meals are centered on a variety of vegetables. Typical preparation methods are grilling, steaming, and boiling which are healthy alternatives to frying and other methods in America. Their primary source of protein is fish, especially those high in omega-3 fats. “Eating like a crane” is a popular saying in countries like Japan and Korea, it means: Rather than devouring your food instantly, they eat slowly which aids in digestion and their metabolism. Chopsticks are used to help eat slowly. Unlike America, meat is treated as side dish or a garnish rather than a stand alone course. Residents in Korea consume a fourth of what Americans do. Their culinary staples include tofu, natto, and miso. Which are all healthy alternatives to meat and other foods. Green Tea is prefered beverage, it is very high in antioxidants. Baked goods are not common, whereas in America they are served almost daily. Many meals include garlic and ginger, which are known to fight diseases. Dairy products are also uncommon. Another difference is the other countries are more physically active than America (Pasternak).
Physical activity is not used daily in America. In a study of eleven to fifteen year olds, there was a lack of physical activity among them which is the leading cause of obesity. “There’s often too much emphasis on what people consume and not on how much energy they’re expending during a given day,” Dr. Kevin Patrick quoted. In addition, Only 36 percent of American children participate in a daily athletic program at school, and almost half of those ages twelve to twenty-one participate regularly in vigorous activity. A UC Berkeley study indicates that Americans spend nine times as many minutes watching television or movies as participating in sports, exercise, or other activities combined (Wasowicz). Physical activities and good eating habits combined, increases life expectancy. Residents of China live an average of 84.48 years which is about 5 years longer than Americans, Japan's average life expectancy is very close in relation to China's at 84.46, and right behind Japan is Singapore at 84.38 years (Pasternak). Not getting enough physical activity and not eating right leads to health problems.
Obesity leads to health issues.
Being overweight or obese is nonetheless a health issue (Gibbons). The world’s oldest metabolic disorder is impacting an even younger age group than ever before. Studies reveal that obese children run a high risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which can be fatal. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota identified obesity as the number one cause of Chronic Liver disease in the United States. America’s population is getting less and less healthy at younger ages, they will eventually face risks of chronic diseases. This problem is not going to be resolved by changing our way of life, America is going to end up replacing people's organs with artificial ones. Dr. Ariel Feldstein, principal investigator, quoted “As a pediatrician, I feel we are dealing with a big epidemic- NAFLD is certainly surpassing hepatitis C, in terms of potential damage to the liver.” Researchers have identified over 250 obesity-related genes (Wasowicz). Body Mass Index (BMI) is a way to determine obesity. As someone's BMI increases, so does their risk for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). CHD can cause build up in the arteries and leads to a deficiency in oxygen-rich blood traveling to your heart. There are a great deal of health issues as a direct result of obesity. One of those issues is heart failure, where your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply for your body. High blood pressure is when the force of blood pushing on your
arteries is risen and remains high, can result in body damage in several ways. Blood clots can be formed because of buildup in your arteries. The blood clot, if too close to the brain will eventually stop the flow of oxygen and blood traveling to the brain which can result in a stroke. If the body’s blood glucose or blood sugar is too high, you develop diabetes. Diabetes has many different forms that impact the body in many different ways the most common in obese people is type 2. It was once rare in American children, but is prevalent among them now. Less than 4 percent of diabetes in children were type 2 in 1990, a decade later that number increased to 20 percent (Wasowicz). Type 2 diabetes causes the body not to utilize insulin properly. The body instinctively makes more insulin, which overtime the body cannot produce enough insulin to control its blood sugar level. Diabetes is the a central cause of early death, stroke, CHD, blindness, and kidney disease. The majority of people who have type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Obesity increases the risk of having unusual levels of blood fat. Included in this, increased levels of triglycerides and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and reduced levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. CHD is put into risk when high levels of blood fats are obtained. Being overweight or obese will greatly increase your risk for colon, endometrial, gallbladder, and colon cancers. Extra weight on a person's body puts pressure and wears out joints, which results in Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a very common joint issues of the hips, lower back, and knees, it’s occurs when the tissue that helps protect the joint wears away. Sleep apnea is a very common problem among obese people. Sleep apnea occurs when there is extra fat stored around the neck and causes the airway to narrow, which causes pauses in breathing or shallow breaths as you sleep. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is a disorder in which poor breathing in overweight people results in too little oxygen in the blood and too much carbon dioxide. Obesity also causes infertility and menstrual issues in women (Gibbons).
Medical Advancements can solve or reduce health issues. Health care spending has increased greatly since 1970. It continues to grow an average of 9.8 percent per year. It grows 2.5 percent faster than the economy, which is measured by the nominal gross domestic product (GDP). The budget for health care increased from 75 billion dollars in 1970 to 2 trillion dollars in 2005, it is estimated to be at 4 trillion by the end of this year.